1. Easy GHS labelling of chemicals with RiskAssess
Phillip Crisp and Eva Crisp

2. GHS Internationally agreed system (UN, esp. Europe)
Classification of - physical hazards, e.g. flammability - health hazards, e.g. carcinogenicity - environmental hazards, e.g. acute aquatic toxicity
Labelling with - 9 new hazard pictograms - signal words - hazard statements - precautionary statements
Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) with - updated & more extensive information
ALL but VIC & WA : GHS in WHS Act+Reg+COP
VIC: GHS via OHS Regulations 2017 (no WHS Act)
WA: GHS acceptable (WHS Act ~2019)

3. Literature
The Purple Book “Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS)” 561pp, 3.2MB download as pdf - official text, Australia using Rev. 3 (2009), but Rev. 7 (2017) latest
The Companion Guide “Understanding the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS)” 89pp, 0.9MB download as pdf - easy-to-read summary and learning tool, from UNITAR website
Our Work/Transport/Dangerous Goods: “GHS official text and corrigenda”
GHS (Rev. 7) 2017 [one document] or GHS (Rev. 3) 2009 [in pieces]
or obtain the latest version directly at

4. Label for original container
Product identifier (e.g. name)
Proper shipping name & UN Number (if Dangerous Good)
Name, address and phone number of Australian importer or manufacturer
Identity and proportions, if a mixture
Signal word e.g. Danger or Warning
Hazard Statement
Hazard Pictogram
Precautionary Statements
Any other information, e.g. first aid & emergency procedures
Expiry date of the chemical, if applicable

7. “Decanted or transferred hazardous chemical”
Label for a
“Decanted or transferred hazardous chemical”
“must, at a minimum, be written in English and include the following:
• the product identifier, and
• a hazard pictogram or hazard statement consistent with the correct classification of the chemical”
Guidelines for minimum text and pictogram size:
Volume Text Pictogram
< 500 mL mm mm
500 mL to 5 L mm mm
[Safe Work Australia “Labelling of Workplace Hazardous Chemicals Code of Practice” March 2015, adopted in every jurisdiction except WA; VIC indirect]
RiskAssess follows the Code of Practice for labelling!

8. HCIS Hazardous Chemical Information System
You can “Search Hazardous Chemicals” using
chemical name (sometimes use weird names!)
CAS Registry Number (more reliable)
Provides recent information on classification and labelling
No solution information

9. ECHA European Chemicals Association
Classification and Labelling (CL) Inventory
• notifications by chemical companies in Europe of classifications according to GHS criteria
• harmonised classifications
Provides latest information on classification and labelling
Some solution information
Clumsy to use, due to need to translate codes

10. Solutions
Experimental data available only for common industrial chemicals (e.g. NaOH)
Otherwise, a solution is regarded as mixture, with water as an inert diluent.
GHS rules for mixtures apply.
See
for a summary of the process

11. RiskAssess data Pure chemicals (>1000)
ECHA data “Harmonised classification”, if available
If not, most common classification (more conservative, if two)
Solutions (>1000)
ECHA data “Specific concentration limits”, if available.
If not, application of GHS rules for mixtures to ECHA data for pure chemical
RiskAssess data updated following ECHA updates!
RiskAssess data may not agree with
• data from other sources, or
• old data

12. Standard Labels For pure substances and aqueous solutions
For common indicators/dyes in aqueous alcohol and for common reagents
Automatically uses information from RiskAsssess database to generate labels
Automatically calculates solution labels based on the concentration you enter
Options for colour spots and “SDS available”

13. >50,000 label sheets downloaded
by 1600 secondary schools since 25/9/16

14. Custom Labels For commercial products, using data from SDSs
For mixtures of chemicals not in the RiskAssess database (calculate yourself)
Allows you to make any GHS label, by selecting signal word, pictograms and hazard statements
GHS checking of signal word and pictograms
options for colour spots and “SDS available”

16. Release 5 GHS labelling system for chemicals, solutions and mixtures
completely overhauled and updated User and Training Codes
"Safety in Schools" book, available as an ebook
upgrades to Learning Resources for routine procedures, dissections, etc
rescheduling of experiments with signed risk assessments
customisable year group list for each school
statistical information, stocktaking and usage downloads
only $250 + GST per campus per year!